Associate Professor James Kirby
Associate Professor

James Kirby

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+61 7 336 56802

Background

James N. Kirby, Ph.D., is a Clinical Psychologist and the Co-Director of the Compassionate Mind Research Group at the University of Queensland. He has broad research interests in compassion, but specifically examines factors that facilitate and inhibit compassionate responding. He also examines the clinical effectiveness of compassion focused interventions, specifically in how they help with self-criticism and shame that underpin many depression and anxiety disorders. James also holds a Visiting Fellowship at the Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education at Stanford University and is an Honorary Member of the Compassionate Mind Foundation UK. In 2022 he authored Choose Compassion, and in 2020 he co-edited Making an Impact on Mental Health. He serves as an Associate Editor for two international journals Mindfulness and Psychology & Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice.

Availability

Associate Professor James Kirby is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Psychology

Qualifications

  • Bachelor (Honours) of Psychological Science, The University of Queensland
  • Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland

Research interests

  • Deepening Self-Compassion

    This project will examine novel intervention strategies to deepen self-compassion

  • Compassionate decision-making

    This project is examining predictors to compassionate-decision making using behavioural measures

  • Compassion and athletes

    This project examines how compassion can help in the context of sports and athletes

  • Examining the psychological impacts of integrated residential housing for young people with high-level disability

    This project is supported by funding from YoungCare

Search Professor James Kirby’s works on UQ eSpace

127 works between 2010 and 2025
All (127) Journal Article (109) Book Chapter (11) Conference Publication (2) Book (3) Other Outputs (2)

41 - 60 of 127 works

2022

Journal Article

Compassion protects mental health and social safeness during the COVID-19 pandemic across 21 countries

Matos, Marcela, McEwan, Kirsten, Kanovský, Martin, Halamová, Júlia, Steindl, Stanley R., Ferreira, Nuno, Linharelhos, Mariana, Rijo, Daniel, Asano, Kenichi, Márquez, Margarita G., Gregório, Sónia, Vilas, Sara P., Brito-Pons, Gonzalo, Lucena-Santos, Paola, da Silva Oliveira, Margareth, de Souza, Erika Leonardo, Llobenes, Lorena, Gumiy, Natali, Costa, Maria Ileana, Habib, Noor, Hakem, Reham, Khrad, Hussain, Alzahrani, Ahmad, Cheli, Simone, Petrocchi, Nicola, Tholouli, Elli, Issari, Philia, Simos, Gregoris, Lunding-Gregersen, Vibeke ... Gilbert, Paul (2022). Compassion protects mental health and social safeness during the COVID-19 pandemic across 21 countries. Mindfulness, 13 (4), 1-18. doi: 10.1007/s12671-021-01822-2

Compassion protects mental health and social safeness during the COVID-19 pandemic across 21 countries

2021

Journal Article

The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth and stress

Matos, Marcela, McEwan, Kirsten, Kanovský, Martin, Halamová, Júlia, Steindl, Stanley R., Ferreira, Nuno, Linharelhos, Mariana, Rijo, Daniel, Asano, Kenichi, Vilas, Sara P., Márquez, Margarita G., Gregório, Sónia, Brito-Pons, Gonzalo, Lucena-Santos, Paola, da Silva Oliveira, Margareth, de Souza, Erika Leonardo, Llobenes, Lorena, Gumiy, Natali, Costa, Maria Ileana, Habib, Noor, Hakem, Reham, Khrad, Hussain, Alzahrani, Ahmad, Cheli, Simone, Petrocchi, Nicola, Tholouli, Elli, Issari, Philia, Simos, Gregoris, Lunding-Gregersen, Vibeke ... Gilbert, Paul (2021). The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth and stress. PLoS One, 16 (12 December) e0261384, e0261384. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261384

The role of social connection on the experience of COVID-19 related posttraumatic growth and stress

2021

Journal Article

The experience of loneliness: The role of fears of compassion and social safeness

Best, Talitha, Herring, Lee, Clarke, Chantelle, Kirby, James and Gilbert, Paul (2021). The experience of loneliness: The role of fears of compassion and social safeness. Personality and Individual Differences, 183 111161, 111161. doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.111161

The experience of loneliness: The role of fears of compassion and social safeness

2021

Journal Article

A systematic review of compassion-based interventions for individuals struggling with body weight shame

Carter, Alicia, Gilbert, Paul and Kirby, James N. (2021). A systematic review of compassion-based interventions for individuals struggling with body weight shame. Psychology and Health, 38 (1), 1-31. doi: 10.1080/08870446.2021.1955118

A systematic review of compassion-based interventions for individuals struggling with body weight shame

2021

Journal Article

Does self-reassurance reduce neural and self-report reactivity to negative life events?

Kim, Jeffrey J., Doty, James R., Cunnington, Ross and Kirby, James N. (2021). Does self-reassurance reduce neural and self-report reactivity to negative life events?. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 658118, 658118. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.658118

Does self-reassurance reduce neural and self-report reactivity to negative life events?

2021

Journal Article

Editorial: Expanding the science of compassion

Mongrain, Myriam, Keltner, Dacher and Kirby, James (2021). Editorial: Expanding the science of compassion. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 745799, 745799. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.745799

Editorial: Expanding the science of compassion

2021

Journal Article

Fear leads to suffering: fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

Crimston, Charlie R., Blessing, Sarah, Gilbert, Paul and Kirby, James N. (2021). Fear leads to suffering: fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary. British Journal of Social Psychology, 61 (1) bjso.12483, 345-365. doi: 10.1111/bjso.12483

Fear leads to suffering: fears of compassion predict restriction of the moral boundary

2021

Journal Article

Body weight perception outweighs body weight when predicting shame, criticism, depression and anxiety for lower BMI range and higher BMI range adults

Carter, Alicia, Hoang, Namphuong, Gilbert, Paul and Kirby, James N. (2021). Body weight perception outweighs body weight when predicting shame, criticism, depression and anxiety for lower BMI range and higher BMI range adults. Journal of Health Psychology, 27 (10), 135910532110276-2290. doi: 10.1177/13591053211027641

Body weight perception outweighs body weight when predicting shame, criticism, depression and anxiety for lower BMI range and higher BMI range adults

2021

Journal Article

Compassion-focused technologies: reflections and future directions

Day, Jamin, Finkelstein, Joel C., Field, Brent A., Matthews, Benjamin, Kirby, James N. and Doty, James R. (2021). Compassion-focused technologies: reflections and future directions. Frontiers in Psychology, 12 603618, 603618. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.603618

Compassion-focused technologies: reflections and future directions

2021

Journal Article

The relationship between self-compassion and depressive symptoms: avoidance and activation as mediators

Adie, Taylor, Steindl, Stanley R., Kirby, James N., Kane, Robert T. and Mazzucchelli, Trevor G. (2021). The relationship between self-compassion and depressive symptoms: avoidance and activation as mediators. Mindfulness, 12 (7), 1748-1756. doi: 10.1007/s12671-021-01637-1

The relationship between self-compassion and depressive symptoms: avoidance and activation as mediators

2021

Journal Article

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

Matos, Marcela, McEwan, Kirsten, Kanovský, Martin, Halamová, Júlia, Steindl, Stanley R., Ferreira, Nuno, Linharelhos, Mariana, Rijo, Daniel, Asano, Kenichi, Gregório, Sónia, Márquez, Margarita G., Vilas, Sara P., Brito-Pons, Gonzalo, Lucena-Santos, Paola, da Silva Oliveira, Margareth, de Souza, Erika Leonardo, Llobenes, Lorena, Gumiy, Natali, Costa, Maria Ileana, Habib, Noor, Hakem, Reham, Khrad, Hussain, Alzahrani, Ahmad, Cheli, Simone, Petrocchi, Nicola, Tholouli, Elli, Issari, Philia, Simos, Gregoris, Lunding-Gregersen, Vibeke ... Gilbert, Paul (2021). Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 28 (6) cpp.2601, 1-17. doi: 10.1002/cpp.2601

Fears of compassion magnify the harmful effects of threat of COVID-19 on mental health and social safeness across 21 countries

2021

Journal Article

The compassion motivation and action scales: a self-report measure of compassionate and self-compassionate behaviours

Steindl, Stanley R., Tellegen, Cassandra L., Filus, Ania, Seppälä, Emma, Doty, James R. and Kirby, James N. (2021). The compassion motivation and action scales: a self-report measure of compassionate and self-compassionate behaviours. Australian Psychologist, 56 (2), 93-110. doi: 10.1080/00050067.2021.1893110

The compassion motivation and action scales: a self-report measure of compassionate and self-compassionate behaviours

2021

Journal Article

Compassion mediates poor sleep quality and mental health outcomes

Kim, Jeffrey J., Oldham, Melissa, Fernando, Antonio T. and Kirby, James N. (2021). Compassion mediates poor sleep quality and mental health outcomes. Mindfulness, 12 (5), 1252-1261. doi: 10.1007/s12671-021-01595-8

Compassion mediates poor sleep quality and mental health outcomes

2021

Journal Article

A multilevel multidimensional finite mixture item response model to cluster respondents and countries: the forms of self-criticising/attacking and self-reassuring scale

Kanovský, Martin, Halamová, Júlia, Zuroff, David C., Troop, Nicholas A., Gilbert, Paul, Shahar, Ben, Petrocchi, Nicola, Hermanto, Nicola, Krieger, Tobias, Kirby, James N., Asano, Kenichi, Matos, Marcela, Yu, Fuya, Basran, Jaskaran and Kupeli, Nuriye (2021). A multilevel multidimensional finite mixture item response model to cluster respondents and countries: the forms of self-criticising/attacking and self-reassuring scale. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 37 (6), 1-12. doi: 10.1027/1015-5759/a000631

A multilevel multidimensional finite mixture item response model to cluster respondents and countries: the forms of self-criticising/attacking and self-reassuring scale

2021

Book Chapter

Parenting, family environments, and mental health and illness

Kirby, James N. and Tellegen, Cassandra L. (2021). Parenting, family environments, and mental health and illness. Making an impact on mental health: the applications of psychological research. (pp. 71-96) edited by James N. Kirby and Paul Gilbert. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780429244551-4

Parenting, family environments, and mental health and illness

2020

Journal Article

Innovation, research integrity, and change: a conflict of interest management framework for program developers

Sanders, Matthew R., Kirby, James N., Toumbourou, John W., Carey, Timothy A. and Havighurst, Sophie S. (2020). Innovation, research integrity, and change: a conflict of interest management framework for program developers. Australian Psychologist, 55 (2) ap.12404, 91-101. doi: 10.1111/ap.12404

Innovation, research integrity, and change: a conflict of interest management framework for program developers

2020

Journal Article

Validation of the fears of compassion scale in a Chinese cultural context

Guo, Mingchun, Wang, Jingyun, Day, Jamin and Kirby, James N. (2020). Validation of the fears of compassion scale in a Chinese cultural context. Mindfulness, 12 (3), 683-692. doi: 10.1007/s12671-020-01534-z

Validation of the fears of compassion scale in a Chinese cultural context

2020

Journal Article

Development and validation of fidelity monitoring and enhancement in an evidence-based parenting program

Sanders, Matthew R., Spry, Carmen S., Tellegen, Cassandra L., Kirby, James N., Metzler, Carol M. and Prinz, Ronald J. (2020). Development and validation of fidelity monitoring and enhancement in an evidence-based parenting program. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 47 (4), 569-580. doi: 10.1007/s11414-020-09713-5

Development and validation of fidelity monitoring and enhancement in an evidence-based parenting program

2020

Journal Article

Neural and self-report markers of reassurance: a generalized additive modelling approach

Kim, Jeffrey J., Henderson, Trent, Best, Talitha, Cunnington, Ross and Kirby, James N. (2020). Neural and self-report markers of reassurance: a generalized additive modelling approach. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11 566141, 566141. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.566141

Neural and self-report markers of reassurance: a generalized additive modelling approach

2020

Journal Article

Self-compassion, social rank, and psychological distress in athletes of varying competitive levels

Walton, Courtney C., Baranoff, John, Gilbert, Paul and Kirby, James (2020). Self-compassion, social rank, and psychological distress in athletes of varying competitive levels. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 50 101733, 101733. doi: 10.1016/j.psychsport.2020.101733

Self-compassion, social rank, and psychological distress in athletes of varying competitive levels

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2026
    The BRAVE Project - BReAking resistance, designing a short in-situ interVEntion to help non-donors overcome blood donation distress
    Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
    Open grant
  • 2024 - 2025
    Brief compassion training with Intensive Bail Initiative clients and staff
    Anglicare Southern Queensland
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2025
    A Compassionate Decision-Making Model to Increase Compassionate Behavior
    Mind & Life PEACE Grants Program
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2025
    Examining the Psychological Wellbeing of Young Adults with Disability Transitioning from Aged Care to Integrated Residential Living
    YoungCare Ltd
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2022
    Neural Correlates of Compassion vs. Kindness
    The Compassionate Mind Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Development and pilot testing of the Active Triple P program for parents of Junior Rugby League players
    Rugby League Research Projects
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2021
    Supporting the wellbeing of workers with injury: Compassion-focused approaches using digital technology
    University of Newcastle
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Creating a thriving community for young people through junior rugby league
    Rugby League Research Projects
    Open grant

Availability

Associate Professor James Kirby is:
Available for supervision

Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.

Available projects

  • Deepening Self-Compassion

    This PhD project is aimed at examining novel intervention strategies to deepen self-compassion. The project involves multi-modal approaches, including the use of video-recording, physiology, and self-report measures

  • Examining an online Compassion Skills Training intervention

    This PhD project will examine a newly created online Compassion Skills Training intervention, which includes six modules. The progam is self-directed and aimed towards populations that have difficulty with self-criticism and shame.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Evaluating the Effectiveness of an Online Compassion-Based Intervention for Caregivers of Children Born Preterm

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Gender and sexuality perspectives on body image

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Gemma Sharp

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Feasibility and pilot testing of a compassion-focused intervention in young offenders and children in care

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Chase Sherwell

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Understanding and Enhancing Doctor, Nurse and Patient Compassion in Healthcare

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Gender and sexuality perspectives on body image

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Gemma Sharp

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Social and Affective Impacts of Adult Attachment Style on The Experience of Compassion

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Jonathan Redshaw, Dr Chase Sherwell

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fostering resilience and personal growth for people with traumatic spinal cord injury

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Melanie Hoyle, Associate Professor Jacki Liddle

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mindful and compassionate nature connection to increase the well-being of family members caring for people living with dementia

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Theresa Scott

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Fostering resilience and personal growth for people with traumatic spinal cord injury

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Melanie Hoyle, Associate Professor Jacki Liddle

  • Doctor Philosophy

    An examination of men's social reactions to disclosures of non-physical intimate partner violence

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Fiona Barlow, Professor Barbara Masser

  • Doctor Philosophy

    NAVIGATEVR. Understanding age-related differences in hazard perception by leveraging insights from the virtual world.

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Sarah Coundouris, Dr Nell Baghaei, Professor Julie Henry

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Psychological flexibility and coaching in Australian high performance sport

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Cliff Mallett

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor James Kirby directly for media enquiries about:

  • altruism
  • compassion
  • empathy
  • parenting
  • self-compassion
  • shame

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